Feasibility of a socially-supported walking intervention focusing on motivation for achieve step goals among university students: A pilot study

Background Sustained engagement in physical activity is widely recommended in national health policies. However, among young adults, establishing long-term exercise habits remains a persistent challenge. Behavioral interventions that emphasize social support and intrinsic motivation have been reported to be effective in promoting physical activity. Objectives This study aimed to examine the feasibility and preliminary effects of a socially-supported walking intervention that emphasized motivation to achieve daily step goals among university students. Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted over seven weeks with 14 university students (mean age: 19.4 ± 1.3 years). Participants were assigned to either a treatment group (n = 7) or a control group (n = 7) based on their preference. The treatment group used social media for five weeks to share and encourage each other's step goals for the current and upcoming week. Both groups aimed to reach a daily step goal of 7,000 steps. Change in step count was the primary outcome, and cognitive performance was assessed using a go/no-go task as a secondary outcome. Results From the third week onward, the treatment group recorded significantly higher step counts than the control group. The go/no-go task showed a trend toward improved reaction times in the treatment group, although the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions This pilot study suggests that a socially-supported walking intervention focusing on motivation is feasible among university students and may contribute to increased physical activity. Further randomized studies with larger samples are needed to validate the effectiveness and investigate the underlying mechanisms. Trial Registration UMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000009309, registered on 20121115 followup registration UMIN000051956, registered on 20230130. Retrospectively registered.